Chapter 16: every tradition · Christianity
Vineyard USA
A church of Vineyard USA, the movement that grew from John Wimber's Anaheim church: an evangelical, charismatic church centred on the kingdom of God, "already and not yet". Worship is a long, unhurried set of songs sung to God, many of them the movement's own, moving toward intimacy, then a message, then ministry time, when ordinary members pray for the sick at the front ("doing the stuff"). Believers are baptized by immersion, children dedicated, and the Lord's Supper kept as an ordinance open to all believers. Each church owns its building and governs itself under its bylaws; to keep the Vineyard name it gives 3% of its general fund to Vineyard USA, takes part in its area, and has a lead pastor ordained by the local church and endorsed nationally. Area and regional leaders, themselves local pastors, offer care and oversight without control; Vineyard USA owns nothing and can only find a church out of compliance or disassociate it. Each church decides for itself whether to ordain women and call one as its senior pastor. About 500 congregations in the United States (502 in 2024, with some 131,000 people), down from about 600 in 2018.
All 80 traditions · its profile in Faiths and traditions, with how to play it; How people feel, what every factor is.
At a glance
| Faith | Christianity |
|---|---|
| Its words | church, church, sanctuary; the lead pastor leads the service; the message; Sunday; the Bible |
| Worship | word focus, charismatic, minimal formality (0.00 of 1); seated on chairs |
| Music | organ discouraged; gospel organ discouraged; choir discouraged; band expected; brass discouraged; handbells discouraged; chant discouraged |
| The room's sound | likes a dry room (the band) |
| Its year | western; minimal observance; fasts none |
| Leans | conservative on moral questions, neutral on economic ones |
| Polity | independent; leaders come by call; property local |
| Leaders | one leader, full time, trained by apprenticeship; marriage any |
| Belonging | moderate commitment, pastoral discipline, admitted by board |
| Giving | tithing taught; collected by online, boxes |
| Way of life | alcohol moderation, dress casual, sabbath relaxed |
The week's services
| Day | Time | Service | Led by | People look for it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 10:00 am | Praise and worship | the lead pastor | expected |
- Leader: a lead pastor. With none (a vacancy, or no one hired), the services are still held, but each costs everyone at it 0.10; on sabbatical a supply lead pastor stands in ($800 a month) for a little less.
- Communion (monthly), served at stations: it needs an altar, communion table, rail, or communion station with clear floor in front of it, or communion can't be given that week. People receive from age 7; anyone younger who comes forward is blessed instead.
- Baptism: needs a baptistry or an immersion font, built and installed; until there is one, those wanting baptism wait.
Rites
- Ministry Time (weekly, +0.02 to those there): After the message, the worship team plays softly and the prayer team waits at the front: anyone who wants prayer comes forward, and ordinary members lay hands on them and pray for healing, for the Spirit's filling, and for what God is doing, without hype. Everyone gets to play.
- Child Dedication (per birth, +0.02 to those there): Parents bring their baby to the front, promise to raise the child in the faith, and the lead pastor prays a blessing over the family while the congregation promises to support them.
- Baptism Celebration (quarterly, +0.03 to those there): A service built around baptisms: one after another, people share their stories and are baptized before the cheering congregation.
- Anointing of the Sick (on request, +0.02 to those there, asked for 0.03 times a year by a household, 20 minutes): A priest or the elders pray over someone who is seriously ill, lay hands on them, and anoint them with oil, following James 5. It is usually done at home or in the hospital, sometimes at a communal service.
- Worship Night (monthly, +0.02 to those there): An evening given over to extended praise and worship led by the worship team, with prayer between the songs.
Baptism, confirmation, and joining
- Baptized elsewhere: it recognizes any baptism in the name of the Trinity. Someone so baptized is received at a service after about 4 weeks (a week from another of its churches).
- Not baptized (or baptized where it doesn't recognize it): a candidate who prepares for 1 months (only months its class can meet count), then is baptized and received at the same service.
- Joining age: 16.
- The church's children are baptized as believers at about 10, most within a year or two of it.
- Kinds of belonging: members (may hold office); regular attenders; received by its board.
- What it means: being baptized, confirmed, or received is worth +0.1 to the person, +0.05 to family there, and +0.03 to everyone else at the service. It roots them: a rooted household drifts away only 0.6 times as often, and if it does fall away, it has a 25% chance of coming home each Christmas Eve and Easter for ten years.
Giving, and what goes up
How its people give and what else comes in, as Money explains it for every faith.
- How it's given: the giving, by giving online, and boxes. With no plate passed, members give a tenth less at the boxes than they would into one, and visitors give nothing at the service. Those who give online give whether or not they come (8% more a month).
- Fundraisers: only the modest ones (below).
- Owed above: Vineyard USA contribution, 3% of what it takes in, to the Vineyard USA; not kept, it costs the wider body's regard.
The lead pastor, the staff, and who decides
- How the lead pastor comes: advertised and called: the church board votes.
- Paid: full time.
- Candidates: three apply; trained by apprenticeship (less skilled; they ask 85%); women among them where the congregation ordains them; most married; about one married candidate in seven comes as a couple, caring for 75 more; a spouse who leads alongside cares for 75 more.
- Tenure: settled for about 12 years, then may be called elsewhere; the associate succeeds at once.
- Ranks: Licensed pastor, Ordained and endorsed pastor; a candidate holds one by skill, and rises with the years.
- Staff it can hire or name (see Staff and volunteers):
- Bivocational lead pastor ($22,000–$38,000; cares for 75)
- Lead pastor ($55,000–$85,000 + $18,000 benefits, full time; cares for 150)
- Associate lead pastor ($42,000–$62,000 + $15,000 benefits, full time; cares for 100 more)
- Choir director / organist / pianist ($15,000–$35,000; leads the music (up to +0.06))
- Caretaker ($18,000–$30,000; slows the building's wear)
- Church secretary ($20,000–$35,000; runs the office (+50 to the leader's reach, once))
- Youth director ($20,000–$40,000; up to +0.08 for households with young people)
- Its boards: the church board (deciding, over everything).
- Renovations: The church board votes, consulting the lead pastor.
- New construction: The church board votes, consulting the lead pastor.
- Calling a leader: The church board votes.
- Who votes: no kind of belonging votes, so what would go to the members goes to the board.
Life together
What its Community screen offers it, with the dilemmas only its own faith or family meets; see The congregation in its community.
- Ministries of its own: Choir.
- Ministries every tradition can run that it's offered: Blood drive, Food pantry, Health clinic, Preschool, Youth group.
- Fundraisers of its own: Soup supper.
- Shared fundraisers it may hold (only the modest ones): Bake sale, Car wash, Raffle, Rummage sale.
- Tenants it can take: A Masonic lodge, A scout troop, A twelve-step group, Another congregation, Dance classes, Parties and receptions, Polling place and forums.
- Outreach: invitation Sunday, planting a new church (Community → Evangelism).
- Dilemmas of its own faith (besides those every congregation meets): A petition for cushions, The bells, again.
- Dilemmas its code of life brings: A candidates' forum, A raffle for the roof, A recruiter asks for the hall, Champagne at the reception.
What the building needs
- required BaptistryBeliever's baptism by immersion needs a baptistry: a tank large enough for an adult, with plumbing to fill and drain it.
- required Communion tableThe Lord's Supper is served from a communion table, recalling the table of the Last Supper.
- required PulpitPreaching is the center of worship, so the pulpit stands at the center of the platform.
- expected Drum kitWorship is led by a band.
- expected Sound systemA band needs a sound system to be heard.
- discouraged Brass band standsBrass doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
- discouraged Choir stallsThis tradition's worship has no choir.
- discouraged CrucifixThis tradition uses an empty cross, proclaiming the risen Christ, rather than a crucifix.
- discouraged Flag of the churchThis tradition doesn't fly a flag in worship.
- discouraged Flaming chaliceThe flaming chalice is another tradition's symbol.
- discouraged Hammond organA gospel organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
- discouraged IconIcons are not part of this tradition's worship.
- discouraged Pipe organAn organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship.
- discouraged StatueStatues are not part of this tradition's worship space.
What people here feel
- Architectural style: Colonial brick +0.012; Modern synagogue -0.006; Gurdwara -0.012; Japanese temple -0.024; Islamic -0.03; Shinto shrine -0.03; Chinese temple -0.036; Dravidian temple -0.042; Nagara temple -0.042; Thai temple -0.042; Jain marble -0.048; Gothic -0.054.
- Building fit: up to ±0.15 for everyone, the average fit of the characterful items in its worship rooms (the table below).
- Acoustics: it wants a dry room, about 0.9 seconds of reverberation: carpet, padded seats, a low ceiling. Up to ±0.05.
- Seasonal decor: it keeps the church year: paraments and the season's decor are worth up to ±0.000.
- The message lands by its topic and the tradition's leaning (below); the lead pastor's preaching adds or costs up to 0.08 more.
- Communion: each communion service runs longer; a slow one costs 0.05 for every 10 minutes the service runs over (0.2 at most).
How each message lands
The topics its leader can choose from (some are only for one faith or family), and what each is worth.
- Fire & Brimstone+0.08
- Marriage as God Designed+0.06
- Sanctity of Life+0.06
- The Last Days+0.06
- Faith & Family+0.04
- Faith of Our Fathers+0.04
- Obedience & Discipline+0.04
- Personal Holiness+0.04
- Resisting Temptation+0.04
- Spiritual Warfare+0.04
- The Authority of Scripture+0.04
- The Great Commission+0.04
- Biblical Stories+0.015
- Blessed Are the Peacemakers+0.015
- Called by Name+0.015
- Doubt & Faith+0.015
- Eternal Life & Resurrection+0.015
- Grace & Forgiveness+0.015
- Gratitude+0.015
- Hope & Comfort+0.015
- Joy in All Things+0.015
- Love One Another+0.015
- Sabbath Rest+0.015
- Saints & Witnesses+0.015
- Servant Leadership+0.015
- Songs of the Psalms+0.015
- Stewardship & Generosity+0.015
- The Church Year+0.015
- The Life of Prayer+0.015
- The Parables of Jesus+0.015
- Care for Creation-0.02
- Healing for All-0.02
- Wealth & Poverty-0.02
- Welcome the Stranger-0.02
- Social Justice Call-0.03
- Interfaith Understanding-0.05
- Reading Scripture in Context-0.05
- Swords into Ploughshares-0.05
- The Prophets' Call-0.05
- Women Who Led-0.05
- Racial Justice & Reconciliation-0.075
- Radical Inclusion-0.075
Every item, for this tradition
Fit runs from −1 (jars) to +1 (just right); the building fit is the average over the characterful items in the worship rooms. An item with no character (a table, a toilet) has no fit. A rule applies wherever the item is.
| Item | Fit | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Seating | ||
| Box pew | -1 | |
| Choir stalls | -1 | discouraged This tradition's worship has no choir. |
| Meeting bench | no fit | |
| Oak pew | no fit | |
| Row of chairs | +1 | |
| Liturgical furniture | ||
| Altar | -1 | |
| Baptismal font | -1 | |
| Baptistry | no fit | required Believer's baptism by immersion needs a baptistry: a tank large enough for an adult, with plumbing to fill and drain it. |
| Bishop's chair | -1 | |
| Brass eagle lectern | -1 | |
| Columbarium niches | -1 | |
| Communion rail | -1 | |
| Communion station | no fit | |
| Communion table | no fit | required The Lord's Supper is served from a communion table, recalling the table of the Last Supper. |
| Communion trays | no fit | |
| Confessional screen | no fit | |
| Coptic cross | 0 | |
| Epitaphios | -1 | |
| Flaming chalice | -1 | discouraged The flaming chalice is another tradition's symbol. |
| Foot-washing basins | no fit | |
| Haikal screen | -1 | |
| Iconostasis | -1 | |
| Immersion font | -1 | |
| Lectern | no fit | |
| Litany desk | -1 | |
| Mercy seat | no fit | |
| Octagonal stone font | -1 | |
| Paraments | no fit | |
| Pulpit | no fit | required Preaching is the center of worship, so the pulpit stands at the center of the platform. |
| Readers' desks | no fit | |
| Rood screen | -1 | |
| Sanctuary lamp | -1 | |
| Tabernacle | -1 | |
| Three-bar cross | 0 | |
| Thurible and stand | no fit | |
| Music | ||
| Brass band stands | -1 | discouraged Brass doesn't suit this tradition's worship. |
| Chanter's stand | -1 | |
| Drum kit | +1 | expected Worship is led by a band. |
| Electronic organ | -1 | |
| Grand piano | 0 | |
| Hammond organ | -1 | discouraged A gospel organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship. |
| Handbell table | -1 | |
| Pipe organ | -1 | discouraged An organ doesn't suit this tradition's worship. |
| Sound system | +1 | expected A band needs a sound system to be heard. |
| Upright piano | 0 | |
| Decor | ||
| Advent wreath | no fit | |
| Banner | 0 | |
| Christmas Eve candles | no fit | |
| Cross | 0 | |
| Crucifix | -1 | discouraged This tradition uses an empty cross, proclaiming the risen Christ, rather than a crucifix. |
| Easter lilies | no fit | |
| Eternal flame | no fit | |
| Flag of the church | -1 | discouraged This tradition doesn't fly a flag in worship. |
| Great dome | -1 | |
| Icon | -1 | discouraged Icons are not part of this tradition's worship. |
| Memorial plaque | no fit | |
| National flag | 0 | |
| Painting of Christ | 0 | |
| Paschal candle | no fit | |
| Plain spire | no fit | |
| Small dome | no fit | |
| Stained glass window | -1 | |
| Statue | -1 | discouraged Statues are not part of this tradition's worship space. |
| Steeple and bells | -1 | |
| Votive candle stand | no fit | |
| Furnishings | ||
| Alms box | no fit | |
| Coffee pot | no fit | |
| Commercial coffee pot | no fit | |
| Computer | no fit | |
| Crib | no fit | |
| Desk | no fit | |
| Desk chair | no fit | |
| Folding table | no fit | |
| Full-length mirror | no fit | |
| Pillar | -1 | |
| Prie-dieu | -1 | |
| Projection screen | +1 | |
| Vestment cabinet | -1 | |
| Wooden table | no fit | |
| Utility | ||
| A/V rack | no fit | |
| Camera | no fit | |
| Cast-iron boiler | no fit | |
| Central air conditioner | no fit | |
| Commercial HVAC plant | no fit | |
| Commercial stove | no fit | |
| Congregation van | no fit | |
| Ductless heat pump | no fit | |
| Electric wall heater | no fit | |
| Gas furnace | no fit | |
| Hearing loop | no fit | |
| Lift | no fit | |
| Packaged heat pump | no fit | |
| Plumbing stack | no fit | |
| Ramp | no fit | |
| Shuttle bus | no fit | |
| Sink | no fit | |
| Solar panels | no fit | |
| Stairs | no fit | |
| Toilet | no fit | |
| Used school bus | no fit | |
| Wall camera | no fit | |
| Window air conditioner | no fit | |
| Grounds | ||
| Evergreen tree | no fit | |
| Flower bed | no fit | |
| Fountain | no fit | |
| Garden bench | no fit | |
| Hedge | no fit | |
| Lychgate | -1 | |
| Playground | no fit | |
| Shade tree | no fit | |
| Standing cross | no fit | |
Variants
Chosen when you found the church:
- La Viña: its own services: Praise and worship, sunday at 11:00 am; Praise and worship, sunday at 9:00 am
Sources
- Vineyard USA, Core Values & Beliefs (link)
- Vineyard USA, Standing & Participation (link)
- Vineyard USA, Ordination (link)
- Vineyard USA, Regions & Areas (link)
- Vineyard USA, 2024 Annual Report (link)
- The 2006 Vineyard USA board letter on women in leadership, as quoted by Alex Chediak (link)
- Christianity Today, Vineyard Anaheim disassociates (2022) (link)
- Religion News Service, The Vineyard was built on friendship and shared values (via MinistryWatch) (link)
- Wikipedia, John Wimber (link)
- Vineyard Columbus, Frequently Asked Questions (link)